


After A Red Nail Chipped

by IreFizzy



Category: Saint Seiya, 聖闘士星矢: 冥王神話 | Saint Seiya: The Lost Canvas
Genre: A character with an unknown fate, Coldness, Gen, Grieving, Not Beta Read, Other characters are mentioned here and then, Potentially OOC, Swearing, Threats, lots of apples
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-23
Updated: 2020-03-23
Packaged: 2021-03-01 05:22:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,181
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23280091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IreFizzy/pseuds/IreFizzy
Summary: After given an order by the Grand Master to find Dohko, Shion stopped by to a saint he had never seen out of his self-made ice prison for weeks.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 5





	After A Red Nail Chipped

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone. It is my honour to write a fanfiction to this fandom; Saint Seiya. This is my first time using the characters from The Lost Canvas hence some may be out of character because of my current interpretation and the fact I'm learning more about these characters, kinda wish I was really a mind reader. This story was supposed to be the part of my biggest story which involved with this universe and 200 years later kinda coming together but thanks to my laziness and busy schedule, it is not happening any time soon. But I want to see what people think about this piece and I look forward for feedback. This is not beta-read.

“Summon Libra, the Grand Master wants him in his chamber immediately.” A command followed by an exhausted sigh. Shion really wanted to ask why but saw the rigid structure of the Grand Master, arms on arm stand, shoulder straighten like a commanding general in front of his army and a hard glare, though hidden by a scarlet mask had his question die in his lips.

Instead he bowed down and muttered in a respectful tone, “It shall be done.”

When he heard a faint, approved hum, Shion turned towards to the grand exit with all concerns of his friend pended up in his mind had appeared on his face. He was confused to why Libra of all people. Solo mission or something stupid? _What have you possibly done, Dohko?_

* * *

He ascended down from the Pisces Temple to the next, after greeted the guardian himself who in return replied him warmly behind the entrance and told him that Dohko would be training with Pegasus at this time, Shion felt fuzzy with help he received and gave him a broad, closed smile as a farewell. At the third step by an instinct he wrapped his arms around himself like a woolly shawl against the mighty cold; the Aquarius Temple. A place that when saints come out, they had running noses, ear-curdling sneezes, everyone knows the only fluid flowing is his blood. A place where everyone lost an ability to talk inside that frosty cocoon and prefers to get out of here – fast!

Manigoldo once muttered to Shion and Dohko in his temple that, “One of Asmita’s hell is inside of that temple, a perfect punishment for being that sick Scorpio’s friend.” Shion had almost inclined to agree but knew that Asmita would not approve such blasphemy nonsense.

The only person who can get Degel talking is Athena, Shion sometimes forgets how he sounds like. She visited him couple of times and at first, it warmed his cosmos and temple but a day after the Goddess left every time, the heavy coldness returned as if she never visited him at all.

Shion was at the Aquarius’ entrance and was about to declare his presence but a single, harsh yell of go had invited him as an outsider.  
Inside of the temple wasn’t like he thought. It wasn’t covered in ice and Shion was sort of relieved that he didn’t need to crawl an ice floor. Instead the temple’s windows were covered giving a sepia tone atmosphere, the furniture was there but he can only see its outline clearly and not the rest that was absorbed by sheer sepia. Degel’s cosmos was active, lowering its temperature, perhaps it was almost absolute zero Shion was terrified by that thought but found pride of his body’s resilience.

He never seen Degel for weeks, not in the training ground nor Rodorio village nor the Grand Master’s Chambers, he had not received any mission, nor he pursued to have it. His students are afraid to ask about him. They found a new phobia because of his last meeting with them when he nearly froze a student but missed by an inch.

Shion knows it was unspeakable to risk his safety, but he can’t help to be concerned about the Aquarius Saint. The truth is he doesn’t fear him unlike the younger saints but everyone else they became more careful around him. Not by almost student freezing, but by Dohko’s innocent mistake.

First week after the former Scorpio Saint, Scorpio Kardia had gone from the Sanctuary, apples appeared on the outskirts of a Scorpio Temple. One became fifty-one, why fifty-one apples on the side had to attract Dohko’s attention? He does not know but he knows how it did end. Dohko got his hat and filled it with apples so he could have it as a snack, when he got the fifth apple, he saw a lightning bolt in a form of a seemly angry Degel flying through the Scorpio-Sagittarius stairway. Dohko was so shocked to see Degel like this that he didn’t move and Degel square punched him so hard that Dohko went flying through the Scorpio temple. All the apples collected had fallen on the floor. His nose; broken and bloody. Degel came closer to his prey. Unclothed with fury that he was clenched his right fist. He is going to punch Dohko again. He was about to when all the sudden he felt a golden arrow poking his neck, Sagittarius Sisyphus was at his back scolding him and the front was Capricorn El Cid telling Dohko to go and reassure him that they have the situation under control. There was no need for El Cid to tell that as Degel left without glancing at two bemused saints. Sisyphus had sworn that he saw watery eyes of Aquarius. That was dismissed as anger. Everyday Degel threw an apple to the Scorpio Temple and if it landed elsewhere, it is a duty of the surrounding saints to bring the apple to Scorpio Temple.

Instead of the exit, Shion explored around the temple until he stopped near Degel’s bedroom whose door was halfway open. Shion felt his breaths shaking like the extremes of fortunes and misfortunes of life and tried not to focus this by peering inside. An unfortunate mistake as his tears began to run down when he saw Degel.

All alone in his misery. Conceal, don’t show it. Shion disliked this ideology. How much a human body can handle all its secrets and truth, one day they will be all out anyway. The Aquarius saints from here to the past had ingrained or some cases inherited this school of thinking within their soul that it become their conscious. Regardless what is within the unconscious to come out from its repressed darkness, except this time a psychoanalyst is not required to see a man who is overly possessed by his neo self.

Degel sat at the middle of his bedroom, his legs crossed, and he looked down on his hands which cradled an apple like a baby. He grasped the apple for dear life as he began his quiet melody of sobs and shakes of his body to match the unfortunate tune. Shion took a step back in disbelieve. His bedroom devoid of colour as if that wild man sucked his room into a monochrome of grey – too dull to see. Degel’s back was facing the door yet Shion could tell he wasn’t wearing his glasses. That apple must be fuzzy for him to glance, perhaps to remind him of Kardia’s wild mane or a sign that Kardia is fading away, not only from this Sanctuary but from everyone else. Degel knew the cruelty of being forgotten or degraded like a spectre. Kardia’s fate is unknown and his hands ached for that hot, burning chest. Shion saw it all and asked a question to no one in particular, _Why he didn’t go to see Kardia then despite everything?_

As Degel stood up, Shion was quick to slide behind the bedroom door. Instead Degel opened his window and for few seconds smelled the fresh air.

The apple that was once in Degel’s right hand had been thrown with a great force and grunt far away where he was standing. He just watched the apple’s destination with no sound except a hum at the end. Shion interpreted as this apple had landed with an optimistic hope that it was at Scorpio Temple.

As if he was stabbed, Degel was quick to step back clumsily away from the window and had fell to his knees giving more ways for his tears to come out. It was more intense than the first time, as if he was grieving a dead person. His purple eyes, lifeless like a gravestone, only glisten and shine by his tears, not the summer’s day. His body shivered as if he wasn’t immune to his coldness.

“Kardia. Oh Kar…Ka, Ka, I miss you. I don’t know what happened. You just came back from the mission and the Pope declared you as…unworthiness. How… Why he can’t see? All those years, a reputation of a formidable warrior whilst coping a fatal disease you built, he ignored it? I…just watched, don’t blame Athena, she wanted to keep you, she didn’t know, no one knows what’s going on then why Pope removed you. I’m so sorry that I didn’t say anything, you told me to win the Holy War whilst wiping my tears. You did so much for me… if you come back, selfish man, I will tell you that, how about I make you cry, surely would you feel touched when your heart is calm? Is it the end of what we have, when you left me, you no longer need me anymore? Yet my hands are tormenting me to connect to a puzzle which you only have the fitting pieces. I’m sorry I failed you, my friend, will you come back to mock me as a reward? Is your parting gift being a taste of madness, then come here and laugh at me and tease my sorrows with your presence. I can’t see you; I just pray to Athena for you only. Perhaps you are calmer, less reckless – a changed person. If you want to be me, ask for ice coffin that I’m happy to freeze. Or wake me up from this heavy, sinking feeling and let your heart burn for me to make yourself obvious. You did it and I was too late to arrive at the mountains, I can’t see you. That bastard of a Pope trapped me here after he stole my poetry of you, I wish he get cancer in the testicles and you can say of the Pope is gone, gone…”

Shion tip toed out of the Aquarius Temple and ran all way through the temples with little trouble or interaction. Perhaps the chill radiated from him that they understood his fright. Except it wasn’t the case, in his mind he felt much shame to witness all of that. The disrespect towards the Pope did not drive him out, rather his speech to Kardia was too private and intimate for outsiders to listen. After all, he didn’t know what Degel had so feelings within him. He was always the logical one, the practical one, the composed one compared to Kardia. Shion wished he could help in any way but it can’t be done alone, possibly he could drag Dohko into this. His feet rushed as he just remembers about Dohko.

* * *

Shion found Dohko mediating on a wall of rocks. He does not see Pegasus meaning that his training time is over, he was glad he didn’t need to interrupt a session. Though Shion came with Dohko to the Pope, it didn’t help to remove a grimace on his friend’s face. He kept talking to Dohko to ease his mind before he could enter the eleventh temple.

* * *

“Shion!” A loud booming voice the duo in the fourth temple. It was Pope Sage.

“Did I give you orders few hours ago, Aries?” Shion nodded to let the Grand Master talk.

“Regardless you have found him. Libra, could you put on the armour and come back here? There’s a grave problem.” Dohko bowed rapid and smile before leaving to the Leo Temple.

Shion had his eyebrow raised and may have guess what type of problem, he could feel it, “What problem?” he inquired to clear his curiosity.

Grand Master gave out an exhausting sigh before continuing, “I don’t know what happened, but I know the result. In the next room, Manigoldo is frozen presumably by Degel. Dohko needs to be careful as it is his front side is frozen and the backside is alright, though a bit chilly.”

 _Presumably by Degel._ The Grand Master knows it was Degel, Shion quietly exclaimed but quickly calm down because Dohko came back equipped and shiny and the Grand Master led him the way. With the blessing of Athena, Manigoldo’s startled face turned into a bemused when he kept hugging Pope Sage for warmth despite Sage trying to pull him away. He glanced towards Shion and Dohko.

Shion and Dohko, grinning, refused to help whatsoever.

Pope Sage gave up and embrace Manigoldo like a son and used his cosmos to heat him up.

“Thanks Pops, what do you think about freezing to death? It’s not bad, at least people will see my best look. Just beautiful, ha! Anyway, old man, could you deal with Asmita? He saw me, slap my butt and left my temple.”

“Why?” Pope trying to get head around this once considered impossible scenario and concluded that he would need to speak to Asmita later.

“He told me that’s for the blasphemy joke.”

Pope Sage straighten slightly to see Manigoldo’s amusement showing his face, he knows that the Cancer had the joke in his head, “My crabby apprentice…you are an idiot.”

“Then help me, Your Holiness, give your blessings and I promise I will use them if I get it.”

Laughter exploded in the fourth temple.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoy this. What happened to Kardia is more explained in the bigger story, I can't any more than that. I want to say sorry that I made Degel into a dramatic, tragic drama queen, oops. Sorry for Pope Sage for making him hateful piece of a human being and for the Gemini Twins, Regulus and Hasgard, they are not forgotten but simply having hot chocolate in the Leo Temple whilst dealing with the cold aka Degel's crisis.
> 
> I'm on Twitter: @FizzyIre, hit me a follow, I follow back.


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